Happy Earth Week! Alright, so I missed posting on Earth Day, but that’s because I was busy getting ready to be a judge at Canton, Ohio’s second annual Wear & Share Fashion Show! If that sounds like a lot of fun, let me assure you— it was! I was invited to attend as a judge, but I left the event feeling extremely inspired and motivated to put my imagination to work with my sorely neglected mending pile at home.

The 2014 Wear & Share event was dreamed up by the fine ladies and gentlemen of ystark, a local organization that works to improve the Canton area community through knowledge, leadership and participation. The ystark committee members were inspired by Annie Leonard’s The Story of Stuff, which focuses on reusing materials to help with the waste problem of consumerism. Wear & Share celebrates and inspires with this earth-friendly mindset, featuring the wear— on-site vendors selling repurposed clothing and accessories as well as the refashioned styles showcased on the runway— and the share— a clothing drive to share your lightly worn clothing with those who need or can repurpose them.

photos by Mallory + Justin Photographers

I’ve never attended a high style fashion show before, but I’d wager to say the Wear & Share fashion show was twice as inspiring! The showcased designers were regular folks (women and men) from my own hometown of Canton, and the outfits they crafted were fashioned from just a few dollars worth of supplies from the thrift store! It was incredible as a judge to be able to see the before photos of the supplies— dated curtains, horrible satin pajama pants, ’80s dresses with the hugest shoulders, and even neckties. The way the original elements were deconstructed and completely refashioned just blew my mind and really got my own creative wheels spinning. So inspiring!

It was so refreshing to see such a variety of styles all in one place. The diversity showcased was really encouraging. Some of the runway styles were pretty easy to wear— just like something you could wear to the office— while other styles were begging to be taken out for a night of drinks and dancing. There was pattern mixing, there was subtle use of muted materials transformed into glorious vintage-inspired duds, there was high fashion influence, and there was even a good ol’ nod to punk rock styles.

My new friends and talented photographers, Mallory + Justin, captured the entire event, so if you’d like to see more of the designer’s creations and more of the event, please check out their public gallery here. If you think something like this would be fun to do in your hometown, why not work with some creative community-minded friends to put your own event together? You don’t even have to wait for Earth Day!

photos by Mallory + Justin Photographers

photos by Mallory + Justin Photographers

I may or may not have a thing for painted ladies. And I’m not talking about ladies who wear makeup (Though, by all means, rock on, makeup-laden ladies!), I’m talking about ladies who paint fun ladies, like Tuesday Bassen and her fabulous girl plates. I think it started way back in the days of my youth when I enjoyed eating bowl after bowl of apple cinnamon Cherrios from my amazing stackable bowl set (Remember those?!).

Well, regardless of its nostalgic origin, I’m definitely keen on kitschy painted faces, and thought a fun application for my own painted lady would be a cute little change purse. Check out the steps below to make your own!

Supplies:

• Small piece of vinyl
• Invisible zipper
• Paint to match zipper color (This will be the lady’s hair color.)
• Thread to match the zipper
• Acrylic paints (in colors to paint a face)
• Marker
• Pencil

Step One: Using a marker, trace the outline of a large mug or small saucer onto the vinyl and cut out each circle.

Step Two: Draw your lady’s face with pencil onto the vinyl, and then fill in with acrylic paint. I chose to outline the features in black paint. You can make your lady’s face as fun, graphic, or kitschy as you like! Just make sure you keep in mind that about 1/4″ around the edge will be hidden in the seam.

Step Three: Shorten the zipper to a size that will wrap around half of the change purse (about half of the circumference of the circles you cut out). Do this by stitching the zipper at the desired length and trimming off the excess. Use a thread that matches the color of your zipper— I only used black so it is clearly visible for teaching purposes.

Step Four: Pin the zipper onto the face of the vinyl as shown in the above image. Then stitch it down to the vinyl using a zipper foot on a sewing machine.

Step Five: With the zipper closed, pin it to the good side of the other circle of vinyl, in the same way you did the front side. Stitch it down, removing the pins as you go along.

Step Six: With the zipper partially open, pin the non-zippered sides of the front and back pieces together. Then, open the zipper completely before stitching along the pins. Begin and end this stitch to slightly overlap the edges of the zipper. Keep your stitches in line with the zipper stitches, making your hem about 1/4″ in from the edge.

Step Seven: Use your scissors or pinking sheers to cut little triangles into the edge of the seam you just made. This will keep the vinyl from puckering when flipped right-side out.

Step Eight: Flip the purse right-side out, and use your finger from the inside of the change purse to push out any puckering around the edges.

Voila! Now I have a fun little conversation starter for when I’m digging out coins to pay for a friend’s cup of coffee. This would be a fun idea for a child’s purse, too! I had a lot of fun making this, because I had a change to both paint, and sew, but it didn’t take too long to finish the project from beginning to end. Perfect for a Saturday afternoon craft, eh?

I’ve been loving life since stepping hanging up my barista apron to work more with the team at A Beautiful Mess, even if it means I spend a bit less time here at my own blog. But just look at all of the fun things I get to make! Some of these projects are super easy, while others definitely take a bit more time. But be sure to follow the links to my original projects at A Beautiful Mess and clear some time in your schedule to get crafty! You’ll be so glad you did.

Spring Easter Egg Display / Plant Stand DIY

Decorative Wire Vase DIY / Peeps Bunny Place Card Holders

Make a Sculptural Hand Dish / Pennant Pillow Project

Make Your Own Typographic Art / Brass Succulent Planter DIY

Zip-Your-Lips Pouch Tutorial / Create a Wallpaper Look with Stenciling

Floating Window Planter / Thunderbolt Earrings